Checklist for Preparing to Provision by Cloning

You must perform some preparation outside of vRealize Automation to create the template and the customization objects used to clone Linux and Windows virtual machines.

Cloning requires a template to clone from, created from a reference machine.

If you are provisioning a Windows machine by cloning, the only way to join the provisioned machine to an Active Directory domain is by using the customization specification from vCenter Server or by including a guest operating system profile with your SCVMM template. Machines provisioned by cloning cannot be placed in an Active Directory container during provisioning. You must do this manually after provisioning.

(Optional) If you do not need your clone template to support Software components, but you do want the ability to customize deployed machines, install the vRealize Automation guest agent on your reference machine.

If you are working in a vCenter Server environment, install VMware Tools on the reference machine.

vCenter Server

See the VMware Tools documentation.

Use the reference machine to create a template for cloning.

Hypervisor

The reference machine may be powered on or off. If you are cloning in vCenter Server, you can use a reference machine directly without creating a template.

See the documentation provided by your hypervisor.

Create the customization object to configure cloned machines by applying System Preparation Utility information or a Linux customization.

Hypervisor

If you are cloning for Linux you can install the Linux guest agent and provide external customization scripts instead of creating a customization object. If you are cloning with vCenter Server, you must provide the customization specification as the customization object.